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Faculty Colloquium Series: Dan Conway

“Disclosing Despair: The Role of the Pseudonyms in Kierkegaard’s Existential Approach”

Tuesday, 7 February 2017, 4-5 p.m.Glasscock Center Library, 311 Glasscock BuildingThe paper is available to members of the Center’s listserv, or by contacting the Glasscock Center by phone at (979) 845-8328 or by e-mail at glasscock@tamu.edu.

Dr. Conway has lectured and published widely on topics in 19th Century Philosophy, Social and Political Philosophy, Philosophy and Literature, Philosophy and Film, and Philosophy of Religion. He currently serves the University as Arts & Humanities Fellow, Director of the Continental Philosophy Initiative, Convener of the Working Group in Social, Cultural, and Political Theory, and President of Phi Beta Kappa.

AbstractKierkegaard’s efforts to develop a uniquely existential approach to philosophy were furthered by his experimental use of the literary device of pseudonymous authorship. The existential import of his pseudonyms is twofold: they not only diagnose the spiritual malaise that afflicts their readers, but also manifest this distress, unwittingly, in their various efforts to address the crisis at hand. In the case of Fear and Trembling, we are invited to witness the pseudonymous author and narrator, Johannes de Silentio, in his despair, as he fails to escape the crisis he presumes to address.

The Faculty Colloquium offers faculty an opportunity to discuss a work-in-progress with colleagues from different disciplines. By long-standing practice, colloquium presenters provide a draft of their current research, which is made available to members of the Glasscock Center listserv. Each colloquium begins with the presenter’s short (10-15 minute) exposition of the project, after which the floor is open for comments and queries. The format is by design informal, conversational, and interdisciplinary.

The Glasscock Center extends a warm invitation to faculty and students to join in a discussion of Professor Warren’s work-in-progress. The paper is available to members of the Center’s listserv, or by contacting the Glasscock Center by phone at (979) 845-8328 or by e-mail at glasscock@tamu.edu. To join the Center’s listserv and receive regular notices of colloquia and other events, please register at http://listserv.tamu.edu/archives/chr-l.html.